This item appears to be a fairly new product from Hong Kong since I’ve only recently found it on eBay. You can find it there for about $20 and I’ve seen this product in the mall for $45! After a long shipping time I finally received it.

Here is what I have to say…

iPhone 3G FM Transmitter Specifications

SPECIFICATION:

Mini FM transmitter with LCD display
Compatible with all iPods, as well as iPhone, iPhone 3G
Receiver sensitivity: < -80dBm (Per 1%)
Signal noise ratio (SNR>68DB)
Frequency: 87.6~107.9MHz, 0.1 MHz / step
Power from iPod & iPhone
Distance: 33ft (in open space)
Operating temp & Humidity: 14~122 F.O ~98%
Work current: 25mA
Voltage: 3.3V

iPhone 3G, iPhone, Touch, Nano, Classic, Nano3

This particular kit claims to be compatible with the original iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod Touch, Classic, and 3rd Generation Nano. It may be compatible with other iPods but I haven’t tested them. I have, however, tested it on the iPhone 3G and 3rd Generation Nano. Although, if it works on the 3rd generation nanos then I fully expect that it would also work for other iPods that are not listed here. (Where’s the 2nd generation nano?)

Car Charger, FM Transmitter, USB Connector

The dimensions of the transmitter is roughly 3.7 x 3.1 x 0.9 cm and is fairly large compared to some of the other transmitters from HK. Because it is so wide, it may not plug in with some iPhone cases (such as my Griffin Elan Form). It’s one of the prettier looking transmitters and you can tell that this particular one is designed with the iPhone in mind with black front and a chrome edge.

An extra bonus regarding this kit is that the car charger is actually a USB port which theoretically means it will charge any device that can get its juice via USB like a PSP Slim, GPS, other mp3 player, etc. Unfortunately, the charger’s contacts aren’t very good as it frequently disconnects as you move it around.

Playing some music.

I also tried to charge with the transmitter at home using Apple’s tiny USB adapter overnight. Strangely, my iPhone would indicate that it is charging, but it’s really not! I left the phone “charging” at almost full power and in the morning my it was on the brink of death.

When inserted, the transmitter feels good but slightly flimsy. The face of the transmitter is slightly higher than the iPhone’s screen and the bottom of the transmitter is much higher than the iPhone’s back. I can also tell how cheap the plastic feels by simply squeezing it lightly; it makes a clicking sound as if something is snapping into place.

In my first test in a stationary car, the sound quality is quite good. I have tried another transmitter from Hong Kong and it is very obvious that it has a lot of dead spots. You have to spend some time adjusting its location and angle to get the best sound. For this transmitter, the signal is very good and you hear little fuzz regardless of where it is in the car.

My second test was in the same car, but moving. I heard a light fuzz in the background and the signal quality wasn’t as good anymore as there were some angles and locations where the audio quality was poor. At that time, I received a call and to my disappointment, I found out that calls cannot be transmitted. To make or receive calls you will have to use the phone’s internal speaker to listen to the other side. I suppose this is a good thing if you are concerned about eavesdropping.

You use the buttons on the right side to change frequencies. Strangely, the above specifications sat that its frequency ranges from 87.6 – 107.9 MHz but I could only adjust it from 88.1 – 107.9 MHz.

The LCD screen lights up when plugged in.

Because the transmitter uses the iPhone battery, it does not require any. You charge the iPhone using the transmitter’s connector port at the bottom. I wonder then how fast does the battery drain without being charged?

For a $20 transmitter, this is actually a really good deal. It includes a generic USB car charger so you can charge more than just your iThing and the sound quality is generally clear. The equipment probably isn’t made from the best materials but it’s good enough and the car charger’s contacts disconnect as it is moved inside the socket. Overall, this is a solid product that you can get for a good deal.

If you have been having as much fun as I have wih the iPhone apps, then there is no doubt that you’ve come across numerous apps that deserve no more than a few launches. After a few weeks of looking for the best iPhone apps, here are some that I found are genuinely awesome (in roughly the order of appearance on my phone).

This article will be constantly updated as I find more great apps.

Palringo [iTunes Link]
As of the time of writing, this is the only free IM app on the store and it works pretty decently. Its interface is slightly cluttered and you need to make a special Palringo account to use it, but once it’s set up it’s a good app.
See also: Meebo (Web App), IM+

1Password [iTunes Link]

I own the 1Password application for Mac and syncing my data between the computer and the phone is seamless. Setup is easy, interface is beautiful, and overall, really handy. As far as I know, you don’t need the paid desktop version to use the iPhone app.

Facebook [iTunes Link]

I have this app for one feature only: mobile picture uploading. Everything else is just icing on the cake. If you don’t need a dedicated facebook app, then you may be interested in just Facebook’s mobile site.

Twitterific [iTunes Link]

The ubiquitous twitter client sports a really clean interface plus a ton of integrated features.

Remote [iTunes Link]

Even though I don’t need to use a remote for my iTunes library that desperately, this app’s installation simplicity and concept makes it a keeper just in case.

Last.fm [iTunes Link]

Last.fm is really handy when you finally become tired of your 16gb of music. I just wish there is a scrobbling feature like from the jailbroken days. (And yes, I am aware that Apple won’t allow background processes.) You’ll need a free Last.fm account first.
See also: Seeqpod (Web App)

Shazam [iTunes Link]

Shazam uses the microphone to record a sample of some music and identifies it for you. The coolness of this app and potential handiness makes it a keeper.
See also: Midomi

Evernote [iTunes Link]

The iPhone app lets you take text, picture, and voice notes and sync with the desktop version of Evernote. Free Evernote accounts have a 40MB limit but that should be plenty for text notes.
See also: YouNote

Movies [iTunes Link]

Possibly the most feature packed movies app I’ve seen so far. Movies shows you upcoming and current movies, theatres near you, newly released DVDs, and more. It even plays trailers!
See also: Showtimes

Zenbe Lists [iTunes Link]

A simple but elegant list app that syncs with Zenbe online.

weDict [iTunes Link]

For some reason, the app store of weDict is not as polished as its jailbroken precedessor, but the basic features are there. By default, it includes the Wordnet 2.0 and English Chinese dictionaries. More dictionaries are available via jailbreak.

Urbanspoon [iTunes Link]

Urbanspoon is a really nifty app (that actually works in Canada) that locates you and finds the restaurants near you based upon your preferences.

LocateMe [iTunes Link]

This little gem finds your location and lets you see a bunch of points of interest including banks, gas stations, hotels, movie theatres, restaurants, supermarkets, and a lot more. Its results are from Google so entries include the address and phone number which you can easily use to map or call.

WordPress [iTunes Link]

Could be handy if you have a WordPress blog! There are no formatting options so its features are rather limited, but it does allow picture insertion.

Wikipanion [iTunes Link]

A simple and elegant Wikipedia application that optimizes Wikipedia entries for the iPhone screen.

Radiolicious [iTunes Link]

FlyCast streams internet radio and podcasts. The streams are optimized for Wifi/3G and EDGE.
See Also: FlyCast Mobile

iVote [iTunes Link]

A fun little app which lets iPhone users from around the word voice their opinion on different subjects.

a2z Pro [iTunes Link]

A simple but effective unit converter.

Tap Tap Revenge [iTunes Link]

Tap Tap is a music rhythm game where you have to tap or shake according to the “notes” that appear on the screen. Somewhat similar to Guitar Hero and Rock Band.

Aurora Feint [iTunes Link]

A very polished puzzle game with RPG elements. It’s rather intense on the battery but still highly recommended.

Sol Free [iTunes Link]

Sol Free is an amazingly polished solitaire game. Currently, it includes the following games: Baker’s Game, Demon, Klondike Deal 1 and 3, and Spiderette.

So that’s it! If you feel that you have a better free alternative, feel free to leave a comment.

Scramboni [iTunes Link]

Scramboni is a really entertaining multiplayer word descrambling game.

Video and results in the full article.

Results:

WiFi: 21s
3G: 33s
EDGE: 52s

Although 3G isn’t quite “twice as fast” as Apple advertises, it’s nothing to file a lawsuit over. Perhaps it’s the carrier’s problem? (It’s not exactly “half the price” either but that’s a different story.)